The VIP Room(67)

“It’s ok Liz. He’s a jerk. Don’t let it ruin your night.”

“No, I’m fine. It’s ok. He apologized.” It was just a small lie. Liz knew Matt would never actually apologize.

“Alrighty. Let’s pee then party!” Bella danced her way into the ladies room.

As the girls headed back to their table, Wade was just heading toward them.

“Hey, girls. Should we go, get some drinks at the bar? I’m buying.” He said as he tried to get the girls to follow him over to the bar on the other end of the club.

“No. Let’s just go dance.” Bella said as she grabbed Wade’s hand and headed for the dance floor. Then she saw it. Bella stopped dead in her tracks.

“Oh wait. Yes. Let’s go get a drink.” Bella said as she did a one hundred eighty degree turn.

“What?” Liz said looking over at their table, knowing something was up; since both Bella and Wade were obviously trying to divert her attention.

There he was. Only moments after having his fingers inside her, Matt had found that blonde bimbo and was making out with her. Liz couldn’t help but feel horrible. He obviously didn’t care about her at all. What kind of man would do something like this? Matt, of course, would say the girl kissed him. Or perhaps that he was too drunk and didn’t remember. No matter what, he always had some excuse.

This time Liz didn’t have the energy to even go back to the table. It was more than just him kissing another girl. It was that Liz knew she couldn’t do anything about it. She had nowhere to go. She couldn’t exactly go live in the dorms again, that was way too expensive. She couldn’t afford her own place and the tuition at school. So Liz knew she would just have to tough it out. But for right now, Liz wanted to go home.

“Will you guys take me home?” Liz asked as she looked sadly at Bella and Wade.

Liz could tell Bella really wanted to dance, but she hid her disappointment well.

“Of course we can. Right Wade?” Bella nudged him and gave him no choice.

As the three of them loaded up into Wade’s SUV, Liz felt horrible. How had her life come to this? Staying with a jerk of a boyfriend simply because she couldn’t afford her own apartment. At this moment, Liz hated her life.

Back at the apartment, Liz grabbed her things out of the bedroom and made a spot for herself on the couch. She wasn’t going to argue with Matt, but she certainly didn’t have to sleep in the same bed as him. Liz would just give him the silent treatment and sleep on the couch for a little bit. At least he would get the point and know she was mad.

Liz fell asleep faster than she had expected and soon woke up to her alarm on her phone. It was seven o’clock, and Liz had to get ready for work. Saturdays were typically filled with waitressing, and it was one of the best days of the week for tips.

Liz text Bella to see if she was up. Not that Bella would be waking up this early in the morning, but more likely she was still up from the night before. When Wade and Bella had dropped Liz off she heard them talking about going back out to a different club. Surely Bella wasn’t about to waste a perfectly good Friday night just because Liz wasn’t up for staying out.

Liz peeked into the bedroom and saw Matt fast asleep. At least he had come home last night; she thought to herself. But he obviously didn’t try to wake Liz up or apologize to her. Hopefully, he got the point that she was mad at him. Maybe when she got home from work tonight he would at least apologize. Liz was hopeful.

Matt actually used to be a really nice guy. But his drinking had gotten out of control lately, and he had flunked another semester of classes. Matt was 24 years old and still trying to finish up his degree. Liz thought she was taking a long time! Matt had been going to college for seven years.

Liz met up with Bella for a quick coffee on her way to work. It was normal for Bella to have been up all night, and even more normal for Liz to be heading off to work on a Saturday morning.

“You could stay at my father’s house in my old bedroom.” Bella offers.

“Oh geez! No!” Liz laughs.

“I know it’s a long ways from school. But it’s close to the law office and your waitressing thing.”

“No. I didn’t say no because of that. I’m not living with your father!”

“Why. He wouldn’t mind.”

“Oh my god, Bella! Yes, he is nice. I can’t live with someone else’s family. That would be weird. Plus he’s technically my boss. That would be weird. Plus he’s your Dad. That would be weird.” Liz was not about to include the fact that he was drop dead gorgeous. It was a given fact, well at least Liz thought it was well known to the world. How could Bella not realize how friggin hot her Dad was?

“Ok. Ok. Liz. But seriously, it would be better than staying with that * Matt.”

“Nah. It’s fine. He apologized all night long last night. He was just drunk.” Liz didn’t have the heart to tell Bella the truth. Did Bella even need to hear the truth? She didn’t understand what it was like not to have a place to go. Not to have someone to call when you needed money.

Bella lived in a private dorm room on campus. Her tuition paid for. Her housing paid for. Even a full meal plan, which Bella hardly ever used, was paid for. Liz loved Bella to death, but she couldn’t understand what life was really like for Liz.